Metal clothesline frame



Feb. 7 11950 c. A.- LARSON 2,496,549

METAL CLOTHESLINE FRAME Filed Dec. 19, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Arm rney:

Feb. 7, 1950 I c. A. LARSON METAL CLOTHESLINE FRAME Filed Dec. 19, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 5' 6 a? ZJZLaraon QW M.

Attorneys Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a novel construction of metal clothesline frame capable of being economically manufactured, quickly and easily erected and which will be durable and efficient for its intended purpose and will effectively prevent sagging of a plurality of clotheslines supported thereby.

More particularly, it is an object of the pres ent invention to provide a clothesline frame including end sections having brace means for effectively maintaining the sections in upright position and to resist the pull thereon exerted by the weight of clothing and other items suspended by the clotheslines stretched between said sections.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a clothesline frame having means for individually tightening and tensioning the plurality of clotheslines supported thereby.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the clothes line frame shown in an erected position;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof looking from left to right of Figure 1;

' Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of one end section of the clothesline frame shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the other section of the clothesline frame;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6--6 of Figure 5, and

Figures 7 and 8 are vertical sectional views taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines T---! and 8-8, respectively, of Figure 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the novel clothesline frame in its entirety is designated generally In and includes the end sections II and I2.

Each of the end sections II and 12 includes a pair of upright posts l3 each formed of angle iron and to the lower end of each of which is secured one leg of an angle member M the other leg of which is disposed at a right angle to the axis of its post [3 and with its underside flush with the lower end of said post. Said first mentioned leg of the angle member I4 is preferably secured to its post 13 as by welding, as indicated in Figure '7 at [5 and the other, last mentioned leg is apertured as seen at H3 in Figure 7 to receive the threaded end of a bolt [1 which is anchored in and projects from the upper end of a foundation block l8, preferably formed of cement and which is embedded in the ground I9 so that only a small portion of the upper end thereof protrudes and the upper surface of the block I8, which is substantially flat, provides a supporting surface for the lower end of said post l3 and for the last mentioned, horizontal portion of the angle member 14. The bolt I1 is provided with a cross-head 20 at its lower end which is likewise embedded in the block l8 to effectively secure it thereto and a nut 2| engages the upper, threaded end of the bolt ll above the horizontal leg of the member M for clamping said leg to the block l8 to thereby eifectively secure the post l3 in an upright position. It will be readily apparent that each of the posts I3 is thus fixedly supported and detachably connected to a foundation block l8.

The two posts of each of the end sections H and [2 are connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar 22 which is likewise formed of angle iron and which includes a depending flange which bears against corresponding flanges of the posts l3 and which is secured thereto, preferably by nut and bolt fastenings 23, as best seen in Figure 8. The other flang of each cross-bar 22 is disposed substantially in a horizontal plane and rests on the upper ends of its posts and is preferably wider than the aforementioned, depending flange.

Each of the end sections it and I2 also include a pair of diagonal braces 24 which are likewise formed of angle iron and the ends of which are cut preferably at approximately angles, as indicated at 25 so that the upper ends of said braces 24 will abut against the inner side of the depending flange of the cross-bar 22 and with an upstanding flange of each brace 24 hearing against the upper end of a flange of one of the posts 13 and which last mentioned flange is disposed perpendicular to the associated, depending flange of the cross-bar 22. Said last mentioned flange of each post It is detachably secured to the upstanding flange of the adjacent brace 24 preferably by a nut and bolt fastening 26, as best seen in Figure 8. The braces 24 extend inwardly and downwardly from the upper ends of the posts [3 and are provided with plates 21 forming foot members which are welded or otherwise secured at 28 to the lower, diagonally cut ends 25 of the braces 24 and so that said foot members or plates 21 will be disposed in substantially a horizontal plane. Each of the foot members or plates 21 rests upon the upper surface of a foundation member l8a, corresponding to the aforedescribed foundation member I8 and which is likewise embedded in the earth [9 and provided with a bolt Ha which projects from the upper end thereof and through an opening 29 in the plate 21 and is secured to said plate detachably by a nut Bid in the same manner that the angle members it are secured to the foundation members 18. As best illustrated in Figure 4, the bolt Ila is anchored in its foundation member l8a by a crosshead 29a, in the same manner that the bolt l! is anchored in the foundation member l8. It will thus be readily apparent that each of the sections H and I2 is supported on four foundation members including two foundation members l8 and two foundation members 18a and is detachably connected thereto and that the downwardly and inwardly extending braces 24 maintain said posts 13 in upright position and resist any tendency of the sections l l and l 2 to yield toward one another.

As best illustrated in Figures 4 and 8, the horizontal. inwardly extending flange of the crossbar 22 of the frame section I2 is provided with longitudinally spaced openings 39 for receiving nut and bolt fastenings 3i each of which extends through eyes 32 at the ends of a yoke member 01' loop '33 for detachably connecting a plurality of the loops 33 to said cross-bar 22. Each of the loops or yokes 33 is adapted to be secured to an end of a clothesline 34.

The depending-flange of the cross-bar 22 of the 'frame section II is provided with spaced openings for receiving nut and bolt fastenings 35 each of which "extends through a bar 33 for detachably connecting the bars 36 to the outer side of said cross-bar 22 and in longitudinally spaced relationship to one another. The cross-bars 36 extend upwardly and have their upper ends socured as by soldering or welding, as seen at 3'! to corresponding ends of tube members 31 which rest on'the upper, horizontal flange of said last tioned cross-bar 22 and which extend inwardly thereof and toward the fram section 2. The tubes 38 are preferablyof rectangular cross section both internally and externally thereof and align with the yokes or loops 33. As best seen in Figure 5, a bolt 39 extends longitudinally through each tube-38 and has its shank end extending loosely through an opening 40 of the plate 36, associated therewith, and each of said boltsEiS-carriesan adjusting nut 4; which bears against the outer side of its associated plate 36. The bolts 39 are each-provided at its opposite, inner end with a loop or eye 42 to which is adapted to be connected the opposite end of one of the clotheslines 34 so that each of the clotheslines will be supported by a yoke 33 and the bolt 39 which aligns therewith. Each bolt is provided with a washer 43 which is secured thereto adjacent its eye or loop 42 and which is shaped and sized to slidably fit'in its tube 38 to prevent rotation of the bolt 39 therein. Accordingly, it will be readily apparent that the nuts M can be tightened for drawingthe bolts 39 from right to 4 left of Figure 1 through the tubes 38 for tensioning the clotheslines 34.

From the preceding description it will be readily apparent that the frame i ii is formed entirely of metal except for the cement foundation blocks is and [8a and will effectively function for supporting a plurality of clotheslines 34 stretched therebetween and which may be periodically tensioned to retain said clotheslines with the desired degree of tautness. The weight of clothing or other articles, not shown, suspended from the clotheslines 34 will be prevented from bending th sections l l and I2 toward one another by the diagonal braces 24 which extend downwardly and inwardly from the upper portions of said frame sections and which are supported on the blocks lBa against displacement.

Obviously, the number of posts l3 and braces 24 may be varied and the length of the crossbars 22 can likewise be varied for accommodating any desired number of clotheslines.

Various other modifications and changes are likewise contemplated and may obviously be resorted to. without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A clothesline frame comprising corresponding end sections each including at least two upright supcortin" posts, a downwardly and inwardly extending diagonal brace connected to each supporting post, a cross-bar secured to the upper ends of the supporting posts of each frame section, for anchoring the lower ends of the supporting posts and braces relatively to a supporting surface, the cross-bar of one of said frame sections having means for detachably anchoring a plurality of lengths of clothesline thereto, and means carried by the cross-bar of the other clothesline section for detachably and adjustably connecting the opposite ends of the clothes lines to said last mentioned frame section, said last mentioned means comprising tubular members secured to said last mentioned frame section, bolts extending slidably and non-rotatably through said tubular members and connected to the last mentioned ends of the clotheslines, and adjusting nuts carried by said bolts and bearing against portions of the last mentioned frame section for drawing the bolts away from the other frame section for tensioning the clotheslines.

CARL A. LARSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNIi ED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 382,269 Price May 1, 1888 4:981180 Oppenheimer May 23, 1893 605,769 Yergin et a1 June 14-, 1898 714,704 Jackson Dec. 2, 1902 959,685 Adlam May 31, 1910 1,134,897 Novess Apr. 6, 1915 1,423,93 Heckler July 25, 1922 1,580,877 Barber Apr. 13, 1926 2,202,193 Davis May 28, 1940 

